


Which One Will The Fountain Bless...

by leobrat



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-03
Updated: 2010-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-05 18:08:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/44581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leobrat/pseuds/leobrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is set post-<em>At World's End</em>, and was written for the 2008 Merry Pirates ficathon.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Which One Will The Fountain Bless...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [placeofinsanity](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=placeofinsanity).



> This is set post-_At World's End_, and was written for the 2008 Merry Pirates ficathon.

A half-year after Jack set off searching for the Fountain of Youth, he finds himself back at Shipwreck's Cove. He needs a place to shore up for a while after he's busted a few ribs in a brawl with a buccaneer sadly several years his junior. The whelp thought he'd made a pass at his lady, if one could even call the damsel such a name.

Captain Swan, the newly reigning Pirate King, is round with the Ferryman's child when he arrives. Her hands are still slender, looking more suited to holding a porcelain cup than a sword, but her face is rounder, softer somehow, even as she barks out orders to get 'Captain Sparrow' situated in one of her guests' quarters. "It's good to see you, Jack," she says, and he can tell she means it. He says nothing back, but he feels himself smiling in spite of himself and he congratulates her on her impending blessing in his own backhanded way.

He takes his supper with Teague that evening, watching over the crowd of children-

Shipwreck's Cove had never been without its share of mischievous youngsters, many of whom got a proper pirate's education under the guidance of his pa. There was damn fine parenting amongst thieves.

Though it seems they should have been bored of the game, 'pirate fight' was always the most popular sport among the village boys, especially when squabbling over who would play which role.

"I want to be Lafitte!"

"You were Lafitte last time, it's my turn!"

"Oh, sod it, I want to be the Ferryman, anyway!"

Jack grimaced to himself and tossed back the remainder of his rum, his third. Teague chuckled, having caught the look on his boy's face. "Tough to share the spotlight, eh Jackie?"

He says nothing back, as he catches eye of the King across the room. "It's tough to share anything for a thief like myself, Pa."

A week later, the evening before Jack plans to depart, Elizabeth joins him at his supper table. He offers to pour her a drink, but she shakes her head. "It hasn't agreed with me," she says, patting a hand over her belly. She is quiet for a moment, looking out over tonight's pirate fight, while he looks over her. When she turns back to face him, she momentarily surprises him, not with the question she asks, but with the uncertain tone to her voice. It's quite…vulnerable. "Would…would you stay, Jack?" She laughs nervously, attempting to lighten the mood. "Not forever, of course, perhaps through the winter, though? I could certainly use the help after…after the little one comes."

Jack wants to say yes. But he knows that he will not survive in one place long, even a place such as this. He was not meant to be still. Neither was she, which is why he suspects she is asking. And he…he must find the Fountain. "Oh, you don't need me, love. You've got Teague and he's one hell of a better adviser than I'd ever be," he grins wryly, and then stares down into his lap, where he's been idly fiddling with his compass. Blasted thing was always broken in the Cove, it seemed.

The vulnerability slowly freezes from her face, but then she smiles again. "Well, safe travel then."

* * *

A half decade later, Jack still has not found the Fountain of Youth, has gained and lost the Pearl (again), and yet finds himself back at Shipwreck's Cove.

The King is there to greet him once again, and just as it has every time he's seen her, it's as if time has stood still. He more keenly feels aches in his back and knees and there is more silver threading through his sable black hair, but she still appears to be a child of seventeen playing dress up. Perhaps not every one sees her this way (and he thinks not; she truly has adapted to commanding a great pirate nation like a legendary king from a fairy tale) but he will never be able to see her as anything but the girl on the island. Which is perhaps why he would not do well in Shipwreck's Cove.

She has a five-year-old son now, called Billy, with the warm brown eyes of his father and her curious nature. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow, aren't you?" the child said with such awe that Jack had to grin in spite of himself.

There's sorrowful news this time, though. Jack learns that Teague had passed on last year. Elizabeth has left his quarters exactly as they were, since she knew Jack would eventually come. She has taken on the Code herself, teaching Billy his letters through the pirate's law. She leaves him be and Jack gingerly fingers his father's guitar. He'd taught him a tune or two many years ago, and he hums one of them softly, a quiet song about stars over the sea, not the average pirate song at all.

He turns when he hears a small voice singing along with him and finishing up the verse. _"….as long as the North star leads ye home,"_ young Billy is grinning at him. The boy has said his goodbye to his teacher a long time ago, and is more interested in spending time with the hero he has heard in so many stories from his mama. So Jack plucks out a livelier tune for him, and Billy laughs and dances a funny little jig, until several other of the young boys come round for the evening's game of 'pirate'.

Already forgetting the grown up in the room, Billy cries out, "I want to be the Ferryman!"  
"You're always the Ferryman, Billy!"

"Fine, but I get to be Barbossa!"

Jack groans, and stalks from the room, gently laying his pa's guitar down. He wouldn't leave the island without it.

Elizabeth is in her own rather opulent quarters. She's collected a multitude of treasures over the years that have been equally useful and pretty. And it seems she's given up rum in favor of port.

She pours a glass for him and smiles and laughs (the same tinkling, genuine laughter her five-year-old son has) because he can't hold his port nearly as well as he holds his rum. Rum is familiar, rum allows him to be in control. Port is intoxicating; there is no other way to account for the softness he feels under his rough knuckles as he caresses her cheek, or how easy it is to pull her underneath him, how naturally he slips between her thighs.

There is no other way to account for having the most peaceful sleep he's had since the night on that damn island.

She doesn't ask him to stay the next morning, but Billy does. "For a few days, Captain Jack?" The kid's eyes are hopeful. Jack hopes they can stay hopeful a little longer on Shipwreck's Cove.

He grins at the kid. It's tough to say no to him, but Jack's done far tougher things before. He would like to give him a small token, but all he has is an old compass that doesn't seem to ever point where it should.

When Billy runs off to show his new treasure to his friends, Elizabeth thanks him sincerely. "That's quite a gift, Jack."

Jack shrugs. "Damn thing's broken anyway. I've spent five years trying to find the Fountain and all it does is keep leading me back here."

* * *

Another two decades pass before Jack makes his way back to Shipwreck's Cove. He has never found the Fountain.

Searching for a youth that is long since lost seems pretty futile now. His hair is far more salt than pepper and when it rains at sea, his knees know it days before. Youth is a treasure that is much too far out of his grasp and immortality is only saved for the Ferryman.

The King does not greet him this time, which he is a little bit happy about. He doesn't know if he can bear for her to see him like this.

On the way to the tavern, Jack glances twice at a few brown-eyed young men, wondering if Billy is still at the Cove, though he's well past the age he could have taken his first voyage. If he has any of his mother in him, he'll love it too much to be back until he's sown a few more wild oats.

"Hello sailor, take your load off," a young woman calls out as he entered the old tavern. She is barefoot in boys breeches and a man's long, loose shirt. She already has a jug of rum waiting for him, and she asks if he'll be needing a bite to eat as she sets it down in front of him.

"Maybe in a minute," he says, his voice sounding quiet and scratchy. He hasn't had anyone to speak with in over a month.

"Suit yourself," she grins. She's quite beautiful, delicate boned, with smooth golden skin and inky black hair and eyes.

She has a compass hanging from her belt. Jack knows it, would know it anywhere in the world. "Where…did you get that?"

She follows his pointed finger to her belt and grins even wider. "My brother gave it to me, when he first left for the seas, about ten years ago now."

"You're….You're Eliza- I mean, the King's daughter?" His voice is in a choke now, as she looks down at him with her inky black eyes.

"Well, yes I am," she answers proudly. "Were you friends with Mama?"

He can't do anything but nod and she smiles and sits across from him. "Well, then I should tell you that…Mama passed on a few years ago."

With one bout of life-altering news still rolling through him, it takes a moment for the second one to hit. She continues at his pause, gathering that he can't bring himself to speak right now. "We had a bout of dengue fever at the Cove. Took over fifty."

Of all the things that had begun to make him feel old over the past few years, this was the one that could damn well put him in a grave. Elizabeth was always eternally youthful. In a rush of painful recognition, he realizes that she _was_ the Fountain.

The new crop of young boys playing the never-ending game of pirate were dividing up roles for the day.

"I want to be the Ferryman!"

"I want to be the King!" This, from a tiny girl with wild red curls.

"I want to be Captain Jack Sparrow!"

"You _always_ get to be Jack Sparrow, it's my turn!"


End file.
